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More than 150 children in the community of Trench Town will benefit from a new basic school that was officially handed over to residents of Paradise Court on September 12. The school, constructed by the National Housing Trust (NHT), at a cost of $20.6 million, is built on strata lands owned by Paradise Court, a 252-unit apartment complex in Trench...

Education Minister, Rev. the Hon. Ronald Thwaites is in full support of the decision taken by some school principals last week, to bar students wearing improper uniforms from attending classes at their respective schools. "Those standards of dress, the tight pants and the short skirts, should be but a symbol of an increased direction for discipline and the re-establishment of...

As part of the Government’s early childhood education thrust, over 400 teachers are being trained to improve their skills in early childhood education and another 200 trained teachers are to be engaged to work in early childhood education under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP). Making the announcement today, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said: “Early childhood education is a...

The HEART Trust/NTA is seeking to partner with accredited institutions locally, in order to expand the number of students it can accommodate in its programmes islandwide. This has come about as the HEART academies are currently only able to accommodate some of the students who desire to pursue the programmes. Speaking prior to a tour of the institution’s College of...

Scores of students from schools in the Corporate Area on September 7 took part in a march to raise awareness about literacy. The students, from all levels of the education system, journeyed from Nuttall Hospital to the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Library (Tom Redcam), carrying banners and chanting slogans encouraging citizens to read. The event, organised by the Ministry...

The Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Development Committee (PDC) in collaboration with the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP), on Friday (September 7),  presented over 52 book vouchers, valued at $1000 each, to students across the Corporate Area. The presentations formed part of efforts by the PDC to assist youngsters, not previously benefitting from the gesture, in offsetting some of...

Minister of Education, Rev. Hon. Ronald Thwaites, is appealing for the religious community to deepen their involvement in the education sector. While noting that the contribution of churches to education is "indisputable," the Education Minister pointed to the need for the establishment of more church schools and for “more church members to be involved in education to add moral character,...

Education Minister, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, said he will be introducing the National Parenting legislation for debate next Tuesday (September 11), when the House of Representatives resumes sittings after the summer break. The legislation provides for the establishment of a parenting commission, which will have responsibility to, among other things, advise the Minister of Education, and lead the implementation of...

Education Minister, Rev. the Hon. Ronald Thwaites, says the Government is looking to make physical education (PE) mandatory for all school-aged children, in an effort to further encourage health and wellness in schools. Rev. Thwaites said this will ensure that physical education is no longer “an optional extra, but a necessary part of the school experience."  "By the end of...

Education Minister, Rev. Hon. Ronald Thwaites, is warning persons involved in providing fake educational credentials to immediately desist. Minister Thwaites' warning follows a recent news report that Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) passes and fake degrees were being sold by persons engaged in an illegal operation. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, the Education Minister said persons involved in this...

Schools in western Jamaica reopened their doors on September 3 as the 2012/2013 academic year got underway. Some students faced transportation delays, due to a road block along the Irwin/Sign main road, mounted by residents protesting water shortage in the area. However, the blockage was quickly cleared by the police, allowing for free movement of traffic. Acting Regional Director of...

Regional Director of Region 3 in the Ministry of Education, Maxine Headlam, has reported that the 120 public schools in Trelawny and St. Ann had a smooth start to the new school year on September 3. "We got off to a good start this morning. We did not have much issue that could have prevented schools from starting, so all...